The present invention relates to a toy rocket, a rocket motor therefor and a launch mechanism, and more particularly to a staged toy rocket, a rocket motor fueled by a self-pressurizing liquid, and a combined launcher and fueling apparatus for the rocket motor.
Toy rockets propelled by a variety of fuels are wellknown in the art. Many such toy rockets are capable of staging operations for example to release parachutes for descent braking. Most such toy rockets of the prior art, however, are relatively complex and expensive. In addition, many such rockets utilize fuels with which special precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of a person operating the rocket.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rocket launcher and fueling mechanism for use with the rocket motor of the present invention. It is an object of the invention to provide a launcher which has a latch mechanism for retaining the rocket motor prior to launch. It is a further object of the invention to provide a gas and liquid seal between the launcher and the rocket motor. It is a related object to provide a seal between the rocket motor and the launcher which dispenses with accurate seating of the rocket motor in the launcher. It is a further object of the latch mechanism to ensure fluid tight seating of the rocket motor on the seal.
It is a further object of the rocket motor of the present invention to provide a release mechanism which engages at least a portion of the rocket body when the rocket motor is filled with propellant and to release the rocket body when the propellant is exhausted. It is a further object of the invention to provide a release mechanism which can be easily incorporated into a rocket motor and which can be fabricated inexpensively. It is a further object of the release mechanism to provide a time delay for release of the rocket body after the propellant in the rocket motor has been exhausted.